Blade opening arrowhead

ABSTRACT

A blade opening arrowhead having an actuator moveably mounted with respect to a blade carrying body. The actuator can move each blade between a closed position and an opened position. During flight, the blade is in the closed position. Upon target penetration, for example, the actuator moves the blade into the opened position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a blade opening arrowhead having an actuator that can operate one or more movable blades, each between a closed or in-flight position and an opened or cutting position.

2. Discussion of Related Art

Many conventional arrowheads have blades that remain in a closed position during an arrow flight and then are opened upon contact with a target. Some known arrowheads use a target material to provide resistance and thus force open or move each blade from the closed position to the opened position. For example, Mizek, U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,676 teaches a blade opening arrowhead.

Many conventional arrowheads require relatively large portions of the blade to stick out or extend beyond an outer surface of a ferrule or a blade body, so that the blades open upon impact rather than the blades not opening upon impact and passing through the target in the closed position. In many arrowheads, having relatively large portions of the blade exposed during flight results in undesirable aerodynamic steering of the arrowhead.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one object of this invention to provide an actuator that moves a blade from a closed position to an opened position.

It is another object of this invention to provide an actuator that will open moveable blades upon contact or impact with a target material.

An arrowhead, according to this invention, can be used to move blades between a closed position and an opened position. In some embodiments of this invention, the arrowhead has a blade carrying body. An actuator is moveably mounted with respect to the body. At least one blade, preferably two or more blades, each can pivot about a pivot axis which is fixed with respect to the actuator, even when the actuator moves with respect to the body and causes a further movement of the blade with respect to the body.

In some embodiments of this invention, when in a forward position, the actuator moves each blade into the closed position, and when in a rearward position, the actuator moves each blade into the opened position. For example, the actuator can be any suitable body or other structure that interferes with or contacts target material upon and after impact of the arrowhead with the target material.

In some embodiments according to this invention, the actuator is slideably mounted within a channel of the blade carrying body. At least a portion of the actuator interferes with or contacts the target material and moves each blade from the closed position to the opened position as the arrowhead impacts and moves through the target material. The actuator moves the blade from the closed position to the opened position upon impact, to better cut the target material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features and objects of this invention are better understood from the following detailed description is taken in view of the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a transparent side view taken along a longitudinal axis of a blade opening arrowhead, in a closed position, according to one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the blade opening arrowhead, as shown in FIG. 1, but in an opened position;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the blade opening arrowhead, as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the blade opening arrowhead, as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a blade opening arrowhead, in a closed position, according to another embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the blade opening arrowhead, as shown in FIG. 5, but in an opened position;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the blade opening arrowhead, as shown in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a rear view of the blade opening arrowhead, as shown in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows arrowhead 20 in a closed position and FIG. 2 shows arrowhead 20 in an opened position, according to one embodiment of this invention. As shown in FIG. 2, cutting diameter 22 is greater in the opened position than cutting diameter 22 in the closed position, as shown in FIG. 1. A smaller cutting diameter 22 can result in better aerodynamic qualities and flight characteristics for the arrow.

Increasing cutting diameter 22 by moving blade 40 from the closed position to the opened position just before, after and/or simultaneously with target impact and/or penetration can provide arrowhead 20 with both relatively good in-flight characteristics and relatively good cutting characteristics, particularly when each blade 40 is opened to cutting diameter 22 as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 1 shows actuator 50 in a forward position. FIG. 2 shows actuator 50 in a rearward position. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the forward and rearward directions are relative to a forward flight direction of arrowhead 20, as indicated by direction 24 in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In certain embodiments of this invention, actuator 50 is moveably mounted with respect to blade carrying body or body 30. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, actuator 50 comprises element 56 which is slideably mounted within channel 32 of body 30.

In other embodiments according to this invention, actuator 50 can be connected and/or operated mechanically, magnetically, electrically and/or in any other suitable manner to allow movement of actuator 50 with respect to body 30 and/or blade 40.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, element 56 of actuator 50 mechanicaly acts as a slider element. Shaft 54 can be mounted within channel 32, in certain embodiments of this invention. In other embodiments, another portion of actuator 50 can be partially or entirely mounted within channel 32 and/or another similar void or structure.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, at least a portion of actuator 50 extends beyond and outward from external surface 34 of body 30. FIGS. 7 and 8 show another embodiment of at least a portion of actuator 50 extending outward and away from external surface 34 of body 30. Any other suitable structure can be used to form at least a portion of actuator 50 that extends outward and away from external surface 34.

As arrowhead 20 impacts a target or other similar structure or body, the portion of actuator 50 that extends outward and away from external surface 34 can be used to transfer impact forces into actuator 50, for example to move actuator 50 from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2. Different materials, shapes and/or dimensions of actuator 50 can be used to more or less effectively transfer the impact forces through actuator 50 and to blade 40.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, actuation surfaces 52 of actuator 50 are equally spaced about a periphery of body 30. Two or more actuators 50 can be equally spaced about the periphery of body 30.

As shown between FIGS. 1 and 2 and also between FIGS. 5 and 6, movement of actuator 50 with respect to body 30 results in pivoting blade 30 about pivot axis 42 that is fixed with respect to actuator 50, and also can result in transversely moving blade 40 with respect to body 30. By fixing the relative position of pivot axis 42 with respect to actuator 50, movement of actuator 50 can result in both a translational movement and a rotational movement of blade 40 with respect to body 30.

As shown in FIG. 1, bias element 46 can releasably contact and hold blade 40 in the closed position. Any suitable force generated by movement of actuator 50 can be used to overcome a retaining force of bias element 46, for example to allow blade 40 to move from the closed position shown in FIG. 1 to the opened position shown in FIG. 2. Bias element 46 can comprise a spring clip, a retainer, a spring and/or any other suitable spring orbias element. For example, a suitable spring clip or retainer is taught by Mizek, U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,676, the entire teachings of which are incorporated into this specification by reference.

The embodiment in FIGS. 1 and 2 shows back surface 44 of blade 40 being relatively straight. The entire back edge or back surface 44 of blade 40 can be partially or entirely straight, curved and/or irregularly shaped. Different curves and/or irregular shapes can be used to vary the movement of blade 40 in response to linear, non-linear or other movement of actuator 50.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, back surface 44 of blade 40 forms a line contact with contact portion 38 of body 30, for example when blade 40 contacts body 30. To strengthen blade 40 against body 30, particularly when in the opened position such as shown in FIG. 2, back surface 44 of blade 40 can have a shape that corresponds to a cutout, a shoulder or other structural support of body 30. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,676 teaches the back of a blade having a suitable or corresponding shape.

The different components of this invention can be made from any suitable strong and durable material, such as aluminum, plastic and/or any composite material.

While in the foregoing specification this invention has been described in relation to certain preferred embodiments, and many details are set forth for purpose of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention is susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described in this specification and in the claims can be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of this invention. 

1. A blade opening arrowhead, comprising: a blade carrying body, an actuator movably mounted with respect to the blade carrying body, a blade movably mounted with respect to the actuator and movably mounted with respect to the blade carrying body, and a movement of the actuator with respect to the blade carrying body pivoting the blade about a pivot axis that is fixed with respect to the actuator and moving the blade with respect to the blade carrying body.
 2. A blade opening arrowhead according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is slidably mounted with respect to the blade carrying body.
 3. A blade opening arrowhead according to claim 1, wherein the blade carrying body has a channel and at least a portion of the actuator is slidably mounted within the channel.
 4. A blade opening arrowhead according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the actuator extends outward and beyond an external surface of the blade carrying body.
 5. A blade opening arrowhead according to claim 1, wherein during the movement of the actuator the pivot axis of the blade moves with respect to the blade carrying body.
 6. A blade opening arrowhead according to claim 1, wherein the actuator has a plurality of actuation surfaces each extending outward and beyond an outer surface of the blade carrying body, and the actuation surfaces are equally spaced about a periphery of the blade carrying body.
 7. A blade opening arrowhead according to claim 1, wherein as the blade opening arrowhead passes through a target material, at least a portion of the actuator contacts the target material.
 8. A blade opening arrowhead according to claim 1, wherein movement of the actuator with respect to the blade carrying body moves the blade between a closed position and an opened position.
 9. A blade opening arrowhead according to claim 8, wherein a bias element releasably contacts and holds the blade in the closed position.
 10. A blade opening arrowhead according to claim 9, wherein a force generated by movement of the actuator overcomes a retaining force of the bias element and allows the blade to move from the closed position to the opened position.
 11. A blade opening arrowhead according to claim 1, wherein the body forms a slot, and a portion of the blade is mounted within the slot.
 12. A blade opening arrowhead according to claim 1, wherein the blade has a back surface that slidingly contacts a contact portion of the blade carrying body when the blade moves between the closed position and the opened position.
 13. A blade opening arrowhead according to claim 12, wherein the back surface is straight or curved.
 14. A blade opening arrowhead according to claim 12, wherein the back surface and the contact portion form a line contact with respect to each other.
 15. A blade opening arrowhead according to claim 1, wherein a shaft connects two body portions of the actuator.
 16. A blade opening arrowhead according to claim 1, wherein a cutting diameter of the arrowhead in the opened position is greater than in the closed position.
 17. A blade opening arrowhead according to claim 1, wherein a shaft fixedly positioned with respect to the actuator or the blade pivotally mounts the blade with respect to the actuator. 